Last updated: September 2025
Introduction
Assetto Corsa has become my go-to tool for practicing autocross and track craft between real events. With Apple Silicon and CodeWeavers CrossOver Gaming, it now runs surprisingly well on macOS without needing a full Windows install or a virtual machine.
This article walks through exactly how I got Assetto Corsa working on my Mac Mini M4 using CrossOver Gaming, including Content Manager, Custom Shader Patch, and a few great sources for national-level autocross course replicas.
Why CrossOver Gaming?
CodeWeavers has done an impressive job making Windows games run on macOS using their compatibility layer. Assetto Corsa is one of their known applications, which means CrossOver can create a preconfigured “bottle” with all the right dependencies (DirectX, .NET, Visual C++ runtimes, etc.) automatically.
After trying a few different approaches, I ended up purchasing a CrossOver license on September 6, 2025 for one simple reason: it just works with Assetto Corsa, with minimal tinkering required.
High-Level Process
Here’s the big-picture flow for getting everything working:
- Create a new CrossOver bottle using the built-in Assetto Corsa installer.
- Verify that Assetto Corsa launches and runs correctly.
- Add Content Manager to that bottle and configure it properly.
- Install Custom Shader Patch (CSP) via Content Manager.
- Apply a few post-install tweaks for smoother menus and better usability.
- Load autocross course mods for realistic solo practice.
Step 1: Create a CrossOver Bottle for Assetto Corsa
CrossOver’s “known application” support for Assetto Corsa gives you a ready-made bottle with all the necessary dependencies. Use that as the foundation for everything else.
- Open CrossOver on your Mac.
- Create a new bottle and give it a clear name (e.g., Assetto Corsa).
- In the CrossOver interface, choose Install a Windows Application.
- Search for Assetto Corsa and select the version from the Known Applications list.
- Install Assetto Corsa into the bottle you just created.
This process sets up a “premade” bottle with all the common Windows components Assetto Corsa needs. No manual DLL hunting, no extra runtime installers.
Step 2: Verify Assetto Corsa Runs
Once installation finishes:
- From CrossOver, select your Assetto Corsa bottle.
- Launch the game using the standard executable inside that bottle.
- Confirm that the game reaches the main menu and can load a basic session.
If everything works, you now have a baseline configuration that you can extend with Content Manager and Custom Shader Patch.
Step 3: Add Content Manager to the Bottle
The next step is to wire Content Manager (CM) into the same bottle, so it can talk directly to your Assetto Corsa install.
- Locate your Content Manager Local Safe executable (often named something like
Content Manager Local Safe.exe). - Following this guide on Reddit for Assetto Corsa on Mac:
Assetto Corsa on Silicon Mac using CrossOver 24 , pay close attention to how they recommend renaming the local safe file. The filename matters for CrossOver. - After renaming the file as suggested, drag the
Content Manager Local Safe.exeinto your Assetto Corsa bottle in CrossOver. - In CrossOver, select the file and click Run.
Content Manager should launch normally inside the bottle. I initially missed the renaming step, which caused some confusion. Re-reading the Reddit guide and following the file name instructions more carefully made everything click.
Step 4: Install Custom Shader Patch (CSP)
With Content Manager running, you can now install Custom Shader Patch (CSP).
My first attempt was to install CSP directly from within CM, using its built-in installer. That seemed to run, but CSP did not actually appear to be installed or active.
The method that worked was much simpler:
- Download the CSP zip file you want to use.
- Open Content Manager (inside the CrossOver bottle).
- Drag the CSP zip file directly into Content Manager.
When you do this, Content Manager automatically recognizes the zip and installs CSP correctly.
Step 5: Optional – Archive Your Working Bottle
Once I had Assetto Corsa, Content Manager, CSP, and some autocross courses installed, I tried to archive the working bottle in CrossOver as a backup. My first attempt at archiving failed, but the idea is still sound: once you have a stable setup, consider creating a backup so you can restore it if something breaks.
Even without a successful archive, simply knowing the sequence above (matching the CrossOver AC installer, then CM, then CSP via drag-and-drop) makes rebuilding the environment much faster.
Post-Install Tweaks
Disable Menu Hardware Acceleration
Inside Assetto Corsa’s in-game settings, I recommend disabling hardware acceleration for the menu:
- From the main menu, go to General or Settings.
- Find the option related to graphics acceleration for the menu.
- Disable it.
This helps eliminate menu lag and odd visual behavior in the front-end UI, especially when running under CrossOver on Apple Silicon.
Autocross Course Mods for Practice
Once the base game and CSP are working, the fun part (for me) is loading up realistic autocross content. Two great sources:
- computer.racing – hosts some very cool national autocross courses for Assetto Corsa.
- AutoX Driver Mod AC Replicas – offers a collection of autocross course replicas that work well for solo practice.
Installing these through Content Manager is straightforward: download the track or course zip files, then drag them into Content Manager so it can install and index them for you.
Conclusion
With a recent M-series Mac and CrossOver Gaming, running Assetto Corsa on macOS is now a practical, reliable option. The key is to use the CrossOver known application installer for Assetto Corsa, then layer in Content Manager and Custom Shader Patch via the drag-and-drop process described above.
Once that’s in place, you can focus on the fun part: experimenting with car setups, learning new national-style autocross layouts, and getting in quality “seat time” between real events — all from your Mac Mini M4.